Itchy Molly

[MissMolly]

Hi all,

I have 2 CKCS and my 18 month old is always itching herself and I know it is driving me nuts so she must be beside herself with it, now it seems worse first thing in the morning when wakes up and most nights if she is out from under the covers she will wake us up with her itching, I feel really bad for her...

We treat our girls with sentinel every month and also with advantage monthly, we did try Advantix for a period of 5 months but it didn’t seem to be working, our vet suggested advantage instead, we have been on this now for around 4 months, but it doesn’t seem to be working, my OH is a little tried of spending money on products’ that don’t seem to be working and rolls his eyes when I say how about we try ....such and such instead..

Our other girl 9 months old itches sometimes, but not as nearly as bad as Molly, we also have a cat who is treated with advantage. I sometimes find a flea on them but not very often, when I get home from work today I will be giving the girls a bath in some flea shampoo to see if they have any, (which I haven’t brought yet I will buy on my way home).. I feed my girls supercoat with the 18 month old on the lite, they also have barf patties, chicken necks, lamp flaps, etc, now could Molly be having some sort of reaction to the supercoat kibble..?? I though of this after reading another post about best dry foods...

Would love any advice...

Cathy

[SueM]

I would be looking at their diet, Supercoat isnt the best, or could she have a flea allergy?

[persephone]

welcome to the world of itches!

She may well have an allergy...

to any one of a hundred things!!

Food colouring, some grains,pollen, detergents/cleaners around the house, flea treatments,...

can't be much help..it takes a lot of detective work to begin to isolate the cause/es

Poor little thing.

[Poodle wrangler]

Have you established it's the fleas that are causing the itching? Not saying it cannot happen, but seems strange that none of the products are working.

Do you use them strictly per instructions? Washed all dog/ human bedding (if dog in bed with you)? Regular vacuuming etc?

This is from the Sentinet website: http://www.sentinelspectrum.novartis.com.a...alth-fleas.html.

Brushing down to the skin and combing dogs regularly can help keep their coats free of pollens etc.

What do you bath them with? Sometimes if you don't rinse very thoroughly, it can irritate dog's skin.

[MissMolly]

Have you established it's the fleas that are causing the itching? Not saying it cannot happen, but seems strange that none of the products are working.

Do you use them strictly per instructions? Washed all dog/ human bedding (if dog in bed with you)? Regular vacuuming etc?

This is from the Sentinet website: http://www.sentinelspectrum.novartis.com.a...alth-fleas.html.

Brushing down to the skin and combing dogs regularly can help keep their coats free of pollens etc.

What do you bath them with? Sometimes if you don't rinse very thoroughly, it can irritate dog's skin.

Hi Poodle wrangler,

I haven't yet worked out if it is fleas, as i say when i look through her coat i have only found one or two on rare occasions, and i do wash sheets once a week and also do their other bedding the same day i treat them with advantage and sentinel, which i do on the same date every month as i have the sticker to remind me on the fridge, this is why i was thinking she could be so itchy from something else.. We do though get a lot of other cats in our back yard which wouldn't be helping if they have fleas.. They are bathed either fortnightly if we have a show as i show the 9 month old or if we have no show it is 3 to weeks between baths, i can't think of the shampoo name at the moment ( i am at work) but i know it is a none allergen product for sensitive skin types... Should i maybe take her off certian foods to see if this makes a change, as i feel so bad for her...

Cathy

P.S I vacuum every second day as i have two ckcs and wooden floors..

Edited September 30, 2007 by MissMolly

[Georgie-boy]

As persephone said - welcome to the world of itches! I have 2 CKCS also and my 3 year old boy is a skin dog. George's itches appear seasonal though and as the weather is warming up now, he has started scratching incessantly.

Your Cav might not be itching just because of fleas. Advantage/Advantix are good products and combined with the sentinel you are giving them good flea prevention. Maybe try using the advantage fortnightly and see whether that has any effect. I find during the warmer months I need to reapply my kids flea treatment every 2 - 3 weeks. Plus the flea lifecycle is roughly 2 weeks. Otherwise get a pack of Capstar to keep in the house - Sentinel has a summer pack at the moment which is a pack of Sentinel and a free pack Capstar. Capstar is a tablet which kills adult fleas and starts working within 30mins of being administered. It will only last 7 - 8 hours and give no more than 1 every 24hours. I find Capstar very useful to have on hand particularly during summer.

Other than that - I have changed their diets. I find the Eagle Pack holistic really good for skin but just be aware that they can get chunky on it. At the moment I am trialling Royal Canin Obesity and Sensitive Skin and I add Omega 3 & 6 to their food via Megaderm.

George is washed in Malaseb or Quit-Itch. I tend to alternate as I find the Malaseb can at times be a little much for his skin but is a great product. Aloveen conditioner is also good to help soothe as it is colloidal oatmeal - I like to make it up as a spray and spray down the areas he is scratching/chewing.

I am also using Atopica too - you would need to get that from your vet but be aware its expensive. I don't really want to medicate him at all but if I have to, Atopica is preferable to steroids and I tend to use it only during the months he is itchy.

Don't rule out that it might be a contact allergy too - i.e. your Cav could be allergic to grass or a plant or tree in your yard or garden.

I feel for you - having an itchy dog is no fun for them or you but there are things to try.

Edited because I went nuts with the word 'also' :S

Edited September 30, 2007 by Georgie-boy

[Cavandra]

Cavaliers dont tolerate fleas at all, but you are already giving them TWO products for fleas now.........I use Advantix, I am near the beach in a rampant flea area, and am also a groomer & therefore bringing fleas home every day on the towels etc....yet my dogs never have fleas using Advantix, all the dogs I do all use Advantix now as Frontline stopped working a few years ago.

Many Cavaliers can not tolerate grains & cereals either, and to my knowledge Supercoat, as are most supermarket brands full of these.........white rice is also usually the culprit on a itchy Cav along with causing ear infections.

You will find your products online alot cheaper than Vets & pet stores, not sure if you already buy this way or not, but it might keep your OH a little happier!

www.pricelesspets.com.au

www.petproductsontheweb.com.au

I would cut out all grains & cereals & add fish oil capsules twice a day (NOT cod liver)

[4 Paws]

take her to the vets and get her checked out first.

I own a gsd who used to itch all the time!Used to drive me crazy so can only imagine how she felt.Was diagnaised as some type of allergy and skin yeast infectiona nd she was put on tablets.These helped a little but never fixed the problem.

I've found since putting them on Nutro lamb & Rice and adding Blue Ribbon coat enhancer http://www.pawzazzpetz.com.au/gpage10.html it's stopped completely with no medication at all

Its' an absolute relief,good luck

Edited September 30, 2007 by 4 Paws

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

There are many causes of itches in dogs other than fleas. It would seem your Molly has something else going on. What has your vet suggested you try to curb the itch other than a flea treatment? I'd be looking at her diet, her environment, and also having a close look at her skin.

I have a dog with allergies caused by contact with allergens, most likely to be plants and pollens. As she can't avoid these things, we relieve her symptoms by using herbals supplied by Robert McDowell. We tried the western treatments (antihistamines, steriods), which worked whilever in use but as soon as the medications were stopped, the itch returned. I'm talking about scratching until the dog yelps in pain, scratching until the skin is literally raw and bloody. This is very distressing for the dog, not to mention the owner. Since starting Ruby on herbals, her symptoms have disappeared. She now gets approximately two doses a week depending on how she looks and behaves. We couldn't be happier and nor could Ruby.

I'd suggest a re-visit to your vet b/c whatever they've put Molly on hasn't helped. I'd also suggest you have a look at Robert McDowell's website:

Robert McDowell's website

HTH.

BTW - IMO supercoat is crap in a bag...I'd ditch it and opt instead for the 'whole foods' approach.

[KOE]

Hi I would say she has an allergy as well and the vet can help out otherwise polarmine for humans but dont use the red one .

I agree with Lillysmum on Supercoat bought a bag as I could not get the norm they ate it and I have not had to pick up so much crap for years and my 3 shepherds dropped weight.

[Kajtek]

Few things that have worked a treat for my itchy girls.

1) Eagle Pack Holistic biscuits

2) Malasep shampoo - fantastic treatment for any hot spots, etc.

3) Sardines 2-3 times per week

4) KELP!!!! (2 capsules per day) + fish oil capsules (1-2 per day).

Good luck

Anna

[sheree_e4]

If your dog does have flea allergy,you don't need to see fleas on the dog to get a reaction all it can take is one bite to start them scratching.As you say you treat the dog with a few different treatments I would say it may be an environment issue rather than a treatment issue.

You could also use permoxin,it is a spray on treatment which will repel fleas and ticks and is very good for dog with flea allergy.Permoxin can also be used to treat any areas of your house and outside areas the dog frequents.

You should flea bomb the house this means every room carpeted or not and also treat every pet in the household at once this includes cats and treatment must be religiously done.(I personally treat all my pets fortnightly).You could use Aloveen shampoo and leave in conditioner as it sooths the skin and the leave in conditioner replaces oils removed when bathing.

If your dog has access to under your house this should be blocked off if possible.Any outside area should be treated aswell a good product for this is KO tablets you get 2 in a pack and dissolve in water spray all areas and lasts for 6 weeks.It has a flea growth inhibiter in it.

Also you say that the advantix was not working!-It would have been it's just you have a re-infestation problem flea eggs can lie dorment for months burried deep in the carpet so new fleas will always be hatching.

Edited September 30, 2007 by sheree_e4

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I got a foster dog at Christmas 2005 in the most appalling state, infected skin and ears. With vet treatment of the ears, that problem was manageable but after 2 months of trying diets for the skin, she was still scratching herself to ribbons.

I purchased the only food sold on www.pricelesspets.com.au (tell your OH you will save money by buying flea products on there). The food is dried but it is formulated for skin and ear problems.

After 2 months on that, her skin was no longer festy and despite being given an estimated "few months to live", she is still with me!

She does still chew her feet fairly relentlessly and nothing much works for that (tried Malaseb baths etc). It certainly isn't fleas but more something her breed type tends to do plus she has dementia now so will do things repetitively, even beyond the point she feels sore.

I use Advocate on my dogs and shampoo the skin prob ones each week. Seems to work reasonably well but I think diet could be crucial as well for your dog.

I also feed my dogs on sweet potato and other veggies. The fish oil, as another poster suggested, is also great for skin probs.

[Muttaburra]

The investigation of food and atopic allergies can go on for a long time and it may well be the path you need to go on.

Initially try to rule out any immediate environmental issues to eliminate the possibility of contact allergy.

If she has plant/grass allergy then do not let her near wool or apply lanolin (both can have residual plant extracts). Use well washed soft cotton bedding.

Remove Paspallium (sp?) grass, Wandering Dew, Plumbago (blue star flower hedge), and keep her away from rough abrasive grasses. If contact with these plants is unavoidable, try applying some Curash before going out, it will act as a barrier and the zinc helps the skin rash.

You need to be careful with shampoo if the skin is irritated, I think that Alloveen is often recommended and there are some similar ones.

Another thing to watch out for is if they are developing hot spots, caused by dampness under the fur and then I think it is some kind of fungal infection. In mild cases you can apply Listerine.

Flea allergy I guess you are already trying to find a solution. Is there a sandy area in the yard? often fleas inhabit that kind of soil so there could be new ones jumping on and having a bite before the treatment kills them.